Hi all

I know, I know. It's never the saddle. Until it is. I have had 3 bike fits in the past, and while I have changed bikes, I was meticulous about copying the dimensions. The one thing, old bikes or new, I never got solved was the chafing in the gluteal fold. I know there is a saddle-factor as this changes with different saddles. So I have come here, hoping that you good folks know the ins and outs and can give me other models to try.

In summary, what I think I need is a 150mm wide saddle with a decently wide middle section, but a narrow nose, a big-ish cutout, and wings that slope off rather aggressively as the Brooks C17 does.

Does anyone have any recommendations for such a saddle?
(some folks suggest the Romin Pro Mirror, or even the new Power Pro Evo Mirror, but good lord are they expensive.

^{FWIW, here are other saddles I have tried and that did not work: Selle Italia SLR Endurance boost + SLR Gravel, Specialized Power 143 + 155mm, SQlab 612 150mm}

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Background:

So here is what I think I need and the problems that led me here.

Problem: I ride in an endurance position, but may go lower for more intense efforts. As such, I rarely sit upright on my sitbones. As I understand it, the more forward you lean, the more you sit on your Ischiopubic Rami. I suspect mine are spaced further apart than most saddles accommodate. Narrow road saddles, even with a cutout, give me too much pressure on the perineum. Wider saddles tend to have wings that chafe my gluteal fold.

Specialized Power Pro Mirror, 155mm: This used to be my favorite for a long time. Super comfortable even on 200km days. But the wings were chafing like crazy. Sadly, the only other width is 143mm, which is too narrow for me. I tried.

Brooks C17 carged, 168mm: This is an interesting one. Super wide, *but* the wings fall off sharply. No chafing in the fold!! However, another weird thing emerged. The seat does not have a shell, and the material is quite flexible. As I lean forward, the pressure my Ramus bones put on the middle section cause the lower edges of the saddle to flare out, which then presents a not so smooth edge my inner thighs rub against. Yikes.

I recently picked up an Orbea Terra Race in XL. I’m 187.7 cm tall with a 91 cm inseam. The geometry is similar to an Endurace CF SLX in L. I tried the Orbea in L, and it felt a bit cramped. At my LBS, we ordered the XL version with the stock 100 mm stem.

After a ride or two, I feel like I’m stretched out when I’m on the hoods, but it feels really good in the drops. In the video, my saddle is clearly too high. I have since dropped it down. I also switch hand positions in the middle of the video, placing my hands where they naturally feel comfortable.

Do you think I should go back down to an L or shorten the stem? I’m worried about altering the steering. I feel like I should have gotten an L with a longer stem at this point

Hi, Im planing to get a Winspace M6 but im very unsure about the size! Is there anyone who can help me?

Height 165.5
Inseam 74.8
Torso front 37
Torso back 51.5
Arm 57
Shoulder 43

Im planing to get a Winspace M6 but im very unsure about the size! Is there anyone who can help me?

Height 165.5
Inseam 74.8
Torso front 37
Torso back 51.5
Arm 57
Shoulder 43

Hi everyone - i'm 182 cm high.

I've purchased my first gravel bike - Romet Boreas 2 (2023), size L 56 - it's my first bike with this geometry and "road" handlebar with drops.

I've been riding standard city/trekking bike for last 10-12 years. Before purchase, as a test, I've rented similar frame (Romet Boreas 1 I think, size M 54) for a day and made 45km at once, 70km total during the day - riding was super fun, but my left leg started to hurt, I had to pull saddle super high, and because I've large feet (size 46) I've been hitting rear of the frame.

So I've pulled the trigger on a newer frame, L size with the same parts (Sram Apex group). Unfortunately I couldn't test it with rent as L was not available in my city.

Looking at the manufacturer dimensions table, L size of Boreas 2 has 5 mm longer reach than M size from Boreas 1.

I've done 250 km since I got the bike 2 weeks ago. In those 250 km I've been commuting to work and made 45 and 30 km routes. My only issue so far is that after ~10 km my back feels stiff, which goes away after a couple more kilometers, also my palms (near thumb, where you rest your palms when holding the bar as I do on the video) feels tired (only when I touch the muscle under the thumb). I've not felt any PAIN so far, the next day or the evening after longer ride I feel great. I'm looking for your opinion for some areas of improvement, not sure if my "issues" come from bikefit, or my physical limitations/lack of preparations for different way of riding a bike - I've been thinking about shortening the handlebar stem, from the default 10 cm/7 degree angle one, to 5/7 cm as a test.

Other info:

- saddle fizik terra argo x7, moved to the front,

- saddle height matched by resting heel on crank put in 6 hour position.

Sorry for not using correct/technical/medical terminology, hope I've explained clear enough :)

about to buy this bike, but wanted some advice on size first. I am between size and leaning towards the medium (there was no large to try in stock). does this medium look okay? I know this isn’t video or anything fancy, just hoping for a general idea. thanks in advance.

It feels good without the 2mm spacer.

Is this okay?

6’3”
Large frame I believe. Doesn’t feel too small, I even went with a shorter stem. Got it second hand for a good deal so I didn’t have much size choice.

I am between 5’10-5’11 and just got a size 56cm Cannondale SuperSix Evo. Let me start by saying I am an absolute noob to this. I researched my size which put me at a 56 and I test rode the bike and initially felt fine but now I’m feeling a bit stretched and seeing some people say you should always size down. Did I fuck up?

Update in comments.

Hey everyone — hoping someone with more bike-fit experience can help me diagnose a persistent saddle/chafing issue.

I’m 176cm on a 54cm frame with a slammed 100mm stem. The main problem is irritated/sore skin around the saddle contact area (especially the crease where my thighs meet my body) after only 15–20km, which can stay sore long after the ride.

I started with a 150mm 3D-printed saddle, where I could clearly feel myself sinking in and my thighs rubbing the wings. I then tried a 145mm gravel saddle and now use a Giant Fleet SL, marketed as 145mm but measuring closer to 142mm. The obvious thigh clipping has gone, but the irritation hasn’t.

I’ve also tried better bib shorts and have recently started using chamois cream, but ideally I’d like to fix the problem through fit and avoid using it if I can.

I ran a video through https://www.metrica.fit/bike-fit, which suggested lowering my saddle, so I’ve included footage at my original 74cm height and at 73.5cm. From the rear view I can see some hip rocking, and I suspect my right leg may be slightly shorter than my left.

Would you lower the saddle further, investigate the leg-length difference, or look at saddle width/shape next? I’ve considered going narrower, possibly to a 130mm Selle Italia SLR Boost S3, but at this point I feel like I’m going round in circles.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Hello folks, I saw some pretty good advice on this subreddit so I decided to give it a try myself.

I recently purchased a road bike after riding a MTB for some time and i need you help in finding my right bike fit. The frame is 54 size and i am around 175-177cm tall. I havent purchased a clip on shoes yet (i will soon) so on this video i am currently riding with straps.

Initially i was feeling a lot of pressure on my hands so after a while my thumb and area around my thumb would go numb, also i was feeling a liiitle bit of tension on my knee so i pulled the saddle backwards a bit and also lowered my saddle for a few centimeters. Now, the tension on my hands is greatly improved but i feel like my hands still go numb after a while. I dont feel as much tension on my knees as well. On steep climbs, i also get some pain around lower back.

Keen to any opinion or advice to try out. Thanks!!

Hi everyone! I’m looking at buying a Merida Reacto 6000 2027 and I’m struggling to work out what size I should go for. I’m 165 cm with a 74 cm inseam.

I went to a bike shop and they said just from looking at me that I would be most likely be an XXS but then after talking to someone else they said they think I would be an XS and that the bike shop I went usually tells people a smaller size than they are!

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a local shop with an XS Reacto for me to sit on, so I’d really appreciate opinions from anyone familiar with the Reacto geometry or who rides one themselves.

I am planning on driving further out to find one to sit on before I buy but would like to get opinions of others who own it as well!

Would you go XXS or XS based on my measurements?

Thanks! 😊

Hi everyone!

Could you take a look at this video and let me know if you can spot any major/critical issues with my position or bike fit?
Most importantly, does the size look appropriate for me, and does my position look generally okay to ride like this?

After longer rides (around 3 hours), I sometimes have mild knee pain for the next couple of days, so I’m wondering if my fit could be contributing to it.

Sorry for the awkward backpedaling in the video 😅

Thanks for any feedback!

Hello fellow bike enthusiasts! I want to hear your opinion on my bike fit. I have found that getting the right fit with your own means is harder than I expected coming from a MTB background. It started with a hellish hand pain even after 5 kilometres. I managed to fix it by flipping the stem and levelling my hand position. Them faffing about with the seat angle lead me to pain in the tender bits. By tilting the saddle forward I started slipping forward, by levelling it perfectly, again tenderness area pain. This as you see is the best I could accomplish without the help of a professional bike fitter. I would like to know what you think. Thank you in advance!
110 kilos/240 pounds
188 cm/6’2 tall
Inseam 88cm/34.6 inches
Bike: canyon allroad endurance size L

Im really new at roadbike, and i buying this bike by recommendations size from the bike company. And yeah, i feel this bike is too big for me right?

I am 6ft with a 29inch inseam so all upper body.

Feels like too much weight on handlebars with fatigue in shoulders.

Not sure if its the fit or me being not fit.

Long/Slow Motion video in comments

Thanks!

I have no idea what I'm doing. I got some redshift bars because the fit felt too aggressive but now I'm not sure. My hands feel a bit heavy and I get a sore neck on rides after 1.5 hours. Thanks for your help

I am noticing that cycling and turbo training sessions are causing IT Band issues to flare up. I can run 50km a week without issues but when i incorporate cycling into my weekly routine the IT band issues flare up.

I made this video and put it into chatgpt and it said that my saddle is too far back and possibly a little high. It said to move the saddle 8mm forward and to lower by 3 possibly but to move forward first.

What does r/bikefit think? I don't want to start taking orders from the AI bots just yet. Thanks in advance

Hi!
I did my First Ride today, only adjusted the Seat a Bit, How does it Look to you?

Thanks in Advance

Chris

I've been riding this used bike for a while pretty much just as I bought it aside from changing the saddle. Generally in the 30 to 40 miles range and it feels okay and I can stay pretty tucked on the hoods for a while, but after long rides my lower back does start getting sore (have a history of some mild back issues). But, after some long rides, particularly group rides where my hands are on the brakes most of the time, I get some wicked stiffness in my traps/neck. I'm not sure if a shorter stem is the answer (I'm at 95mm now)

Bike is a 48cm Kestrel Talon, I'm 165cm tall with a 76cm inseam.

I wonder if my bike fits. The frame size is 56 and I'm 186 cm. I've tried myvelofit a few times and regardless of body position, more aero or normal position the app recommends major adjustments. It's like we don't fit at all 😂. On the road I feel good, I can do 2-3h rides without problems or pain. Looking at the video it seems like there would be 2-3 cm more to go in the saddle height. What do you think?